TWENTY20 A HIT BEFORE RAIN
6 January 2006
Twenty20 cricket had its official unveiling at the Gabba tonight and while the anticipated fire and brimstone batting did not quite eventuate, there was plenty of thunder and lightning.
A massive thunderstorm again brought a premature end to a 2005-06 Gabba match, with the rain and hail washing out the inaugural KFC Twenty20 Big Bash between the XXXX Gold Queensland Bulls and the Tasmanian Tigers.
The Tigers were 1-15 from 3.1 overs chasing the Bulls total of 7-136 when the storm hit, with the resulting abandoned game resulting in a point each for the teams.
Until the premature end to the game, the crowd of 10,083 had been entertained by comedy acts, including a precision mowing team, DJs, on-field MCs, player interviews and some useful cricket from both teams.
The Queensland players took to the field in white terry-towelling headbands and pink zinc on their faces to provide their share of colour, with Andy Bichel looking like a fired-up fitness instructor who had suddenly found himself armed with a new ball instead of a dumb bell.
The Tigers were impressive with their bowling and fielding early, rocking the Bulls to have them 4-32 from4.6 overs before a 79-run partnership between Queensland skipper Jimmy Maher and Steve Harry Paulsen.
Maher provided a typically inventive 59 from 50 balls while Paulsen, in just his second game for Queensland, showed princely touch to poach 45 runs from 46 balls to lift the Bulls to 136.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson claimed the key wicket of Tigers captain Michael DiVenuto, with debutant Nathan Rimmington taking a low catch at mid-on after Johnson had hurried the left-hander into his shot.
Earlier in the day, XXXX Gold First Grade cricket teams University of Queensland and Wynnum-Manly had provided an appetiser of what to expect with a rollicking showdown in the inaugural Grade Twenty20 Final.
University claimed the title with a 20-run victory over Wynnum-Manly, with Queensland fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz displaying his class to take 4-19 from four overs after being given the green-light to play for his club side in the curtain-raiser after being rested from the Bulls side.
Chasing University's total of 170, Wynnum reached 9-151 from their 20 overs, with pace bowler Craig Rosario going down swinging by hitting two sixes in the final over.
University captain Stephen Farrell blasted 69 off just 26 balls, with his half century coming off just 19 deliveries.
The burly right-hander smashed seven sixes, including one into the top deck of the northern stand at the Vulture Street end and another into the lower tier of the new section of the Gabba stand at the Stanley Street end.
He also blasted five fours to have the Students sitting pretty before Wynnum fought back to restrict their opponents to 170 from 18.3 overs.
Medium-pacer Troy Watts picked up 3-50 after copping some heavy punishment from Farrell, young pace bowler Dane Hutchison bounced back from a horror opening over to take 3-29 while allrounder Steen Carlson was impressive in claiming 2-18 from 3.3 overs.